China's kungfu shrine eyes new-media expansion

ZHENGZHOU, Sept. 2 (Xinhua) -- China's high-profile Shaolin Temple is recruiting a media director and an editor as part of its drive to spread kung fu and Buddhist culture using a social media.

The monastery located in China's central Henan Province told Xinhua on Tuesday that the positions are open to applicants from across the world, with preference on English-speaking new media workers. They will aid in the temple's campaign to build a new-media and social network platform, which will incorporate its microblog and a new account on the instant messaging service WeChat.

"The need arises from an internationalizing Shaolin," said Yanchong , a monk who works at Shaolin Intangible Assets Management Center.

The temple needs new platforms to better interact with its domestic and foreign fans, who come from all walks of life, including many non-Buddhist students and entrepreneurs, he said.

The 1,500-year-old Shaolin temple is arguably China's most famous and controversial Buddhist temple due to its active commercial and cultural activities like kung fu shows. It is also among the first religious institutions in China to go digital. It built its first website in 1996, and has huge followings on Chinese social networks such as Weibo and WeChat.